Adherence is an important early event in the pathogenesis of bacterial infections in animals and humans. Studies have shown that the infectious ability of bacteria is related to the ability of bacteria to adhere to host cells. In the first stages of infection, bacterial adhesins, adhesive molecules on the surface of bacteria, bind to receptor materials on the host cell membrane.
Surprisingly, it has been found that the adherence of the bacterium such as Streptococcus pyogenes, to human epithelial pharangeal and oral mucosal cells can be inhibited by oligosaccharides. Streptococcus Pyogenes, a group A beta hemolytic streptococci which cause pharyngitis, exhibits tissue tropism, i.e. it is virtually found only in humans.
In previous U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,002,759 and 5,095,106, which we herewith incorporate by reference, we described the oligosaccharide compositions and methods therewith that inhibit the adhesion of S. pyogenes on pharyngeal and oral mucosa. It has now been found that the inhibitory activity of these oligosaccharides can be substantially enhanced by coupling them with a carrier to make glycoconjugates.